david white

But First, Champagne author David White picks his top Champagnes and discusses what surprised him most during the writing of the book.

October 21 is Global Champagne Day! To help you celebrate David White suggests five things you need to know about Champagne.

Old wine isn’t necessarily better; it’s just different.

But First, Champagne gently grabs you by the hand and lays bare the magical world of Champagne...

"Kurniawan showed how much money could be made with fake wines. At a single auction hosted by Acker Merrall & Condit in 2006, he netted nearly $25 million."

Earlier this month, I visited Bordeaux to see what else the region could offer. I learned that, contrary to perception, Bordeaux is home to countless mud-on-their-boots farmers who produce affordable, authentic wines.

White profiles both along with 200 other producers, from "the large-scale and the Lilliputian, the cult and the quaffer, the founders and the new wave." Importantly, she also checks in on the arc of every producer's wines, sharing tasting notes on current releases and back vintages.

"These wines are reintroducing America to a style of wine that went dormant for a long time," she explained. "They're reminding people that there's a different way to make Chardonnay." - Sarah McCrea

My advice was simple. I urged him to look for off-the-beaten-path varieties from off-the-beaten-path regions. As New York University economics professor Karl Storchmann once explained, "[The market] adds a premium for certain places or grapes."

"There are a few wines that have been pointed out as representative of Australia, but they're exactly the opposite of what we should be known for." - Chester Osborn, d'Arenberg